Darkening Souls
by Vampire Tails
Summary: *RP Story: Set after Sock Opera.* Ever since the failed play, things were different. Too different, between Mabel and Dipper. Between everybody. Dipper's been having nightmares, and things have been falling apart. Missing Genre: Tragedy Started: March 7, 2016 Finished:
1. Prologue

**A/N** : Welcome, to my second ever Gravity Falls fanfic! this was an RP (roleplay), a collaboration between me and a friend of mine (Ace). I hope we got the characters spot on. We really had fun doing this, and I scared myself even.

Roles:

Dipper: Ace  
Bill Cipher and Mabel: Me

* * *

 **Darkening Souls  
Prologue**

It was another late night. Dipper was sneaking out the window. He always woke up his sister, either by slamming the window behind him too loudly or leaving it open and letting the cold air in. This night, he had on a backpack that made loud clinking noises as he moved to go out the window. He wasn't even halfway when his sister woke up.

"Dipper...?" his sister yawned, her eyes opening halfway, "where are you going _this_ time...?"

He stopped in his tracks, pursing his lips. He still had his eyes on that window, "This is my last trip, I promise, Mabel. I just, uh, have to... I have to do some things." He spared a quick glance at her.

Mabel frowned slightly, but she's much too sleepy to argue, "Mmph.. alright... I guess I'll see ya later, bro-bro?"

"Yes... later..." he sighed, "I'll see you, but you won't see me..." and then he opened the window.

His sister had almost fallen back asleep, but this alarmed her, "Won't see you? really? seriously, what's the problem here?" She woke up a little more, her eyes narrowed.

This opened the floodgates. Dipper sighed, "Mabel, every night since that failed Sock Opera, Bill's appeared in my dreams. Turning them into nightmares. Nightmares where I hurt you and Stan and everyone else I care about. He says that they'll come true..." he paused a while, as if waiting for his sister to say something, but then continued, deep worry in his eyes as he turned to face her, "Mabel, I'm terrified. I can't sleep, not now, not ever, not like this! I just... I can't!"

The bags under his eyes were dense. He had hardly slept for the past few nights, and that must have only built his paranoia. Mabel sighed.

"You realized that if you try to avoid the problem you'll only force it to happen... right...?" she muttered slightly.

Dipper frowned. His sister didn't seem to understand, and so he explained it more, "Mabel... I hurt you. I stabbed you, over, and over, and over, until you weren't bleeding anymore, until you weren't _breathing_ anymore. And I didn't stop, even after that." Tears were running down his face. He was honestly terrified, evident by his wide pitiful eyes. "I can't hurt you for real. I can't lose you again," he opened his book-bag, revealing it was full of knives and forks. "I'm getting rid of these... so I don't hurt you... ever again..."

Mabel then woke up completely, and hopped up out of bed, "We use those to cook, ya know..." and then she took a deep breath and sighed, trying to think of a good way to explain and calm her brother down... "Now, listen... the only way Bill will enter your mind and take over is if you make a deal with him... you have nothing to fear..."

"I just want the nightmares to stop..." it didn't seem like he heard her, "I just want it to be over..." and he dropped the bag, and it clashed against the floor, some of the knives and forks falling out, but he hardly noticed this.

Mabel crossed the floor and hugged him tightly, "I'm here for you, bro-bro... you'll be okay... Bill won't be coming for you.. and, if he does, we can always beat him... together."

He smiled softly, returning the hug. Her comfort seemed to be working. He then looked into her eyes, "You think we could cuddle... tonight? I can't sleep alone..." he took a deep breath and closed the window.

"Sure thing, Dip-Dop!" she giggled, her everlasting optimism shining through as it always did.

Dipper laughed playfully, "I think we need to make some dream catchers or something. Keep Bill out."

Mabel slowly gained the biggest grin ever, "Yeah! we should do that! I've got the materials right here!" and then she pulled out of hammerspace all the materials they needed to make a dream catcher.

Her brother, wide-eyed, stared at these materials. He then yawned loudly, "Uh, not right now. It's late, I need my sleep, yata yata yata... let's just sit and cuddle until we fall asleep."

"Alright then..." she smiled, putting the materials away and heading back to bed. She sat and then patted the empty space next to her. He walked over, sat down beside her, and lay down.

"G'night, Mabel."

"G'night, bro-bro..." she also lay down, smiling brightly, and eventually fell asleep. Dipper embraced her, and drifted off into sleep, fearing the nightmares he was certain would come.

But they never did. In fact, it seemed a bit _too_ peaceful... except for the ominous triangle floating near the foot of their bed, a monstrous grin on his eye. So, for the first time in two weeks, Dipper had pleasant, gentle dreams. He smiled softly.

 _Maybe Mabel was right.. I'm worrying for nothing..._

And then a voice he thought he'd never hear again rang through his head, _I wouldn't say that so soon, Pine-Tree..._ and then it cackled.

Dipper's eyes opened wide as he heard Bill. He looked around, confused. He could see little from his intertwined state with Mabel, and didn't want to move.

 _It's late. My mind is playing tricks on me. I'm fine,_ he told himself again, but this time, was unable to rest.

Bill chuckled, happy that he was at unease. He stayed silent for a while, making him think it was only a figment of his imagination. Toying with Dipper amused him so much.

The boy eventually went back to an uneasy sleep, hoping it was not real, hoping that he had seen the last of Bill...

The demon chuckled again, his hands clasped. Dipper'd have nightmares again, no matter what. He was only here to toy with him, and hopefully to gain something more. And, boy, was it fun.

The preteen, this time, scrambled out of bed and stood up, having managed to get out of the intertwined state.

"Hello?" he looked around, startled.

"Oh, Pine-Tree... I thought you'd never wake back up... though that would have been absolutely fine with me."

"Stop messing with me! what do you want from me, Bill?" he was pleading. Exhausted, it was hard for him not to show his feelings.

The triangle grinned, "Only to mess with ya. Heheh... you're pretty funny when you're suffering." He floated upwards, raising his hands and laughing slightly, "It's like watching a comedy!"

Dipper stiffened, "Just leave me and my family alone, you evil triangle! we've never done anything to you!"

"Heh! like that even matters!" and then he suddenly disappeared.

The boy looked around, fearful. His experiences taught him that an enemy unseen was worse than one in plain sight. Bill popped up again, behind him and upside-down, "Boo!"

He laughed as Dipper screamed, "Cut that out!"

"Nope! it's hilarious seeing you suffer. Particularly with those nightmares I send you every night," he then floated in front of Dipper, turning himself right-side-up. "And you can forget what Mabel told you... I'm always there... and your nightmares _will_ come true."

"I don't believe you!" Dipper spat.

Bill scoffed, "You'd rather believe some meat-sack than an all-powerful demon with precognition?"

"You've lied to me before. You wouldn't hesitate to do it again."

"Well, I'm flattered that you know me so well! but, let's say that I _wasn't_ lying..." and suddenly a knife appeared in Dipper's hand.

Dipper tried to drop it, but, to his dismay, found that he couldn't. He freaked out, "No, no, you won't make it be real!"

Bill only grinned monstrously, "Really now?" and raised a hand, controlling the nerves in Dipper's arm.

The kid was terrified. He knew what was coming. "No! please! don't do this!" His eyes were beginning to water as his arm mimicked Bill's.

"You really think _I'll_ listen to _you_?" the demon let loose a frightening cackle, "you're awfully mistaken, Pine-Tree! and here I thought you were smart!" and then he swung his arm to his left, towards Mabel.

"I... no..." he fought the impulse the best he could, "please! don't hurt her! MABEL! WAKE UP! RUN!" he screamed, terrified.

Mabel was, unfortunately, in her deep cycle, and couldn't hear a thing. The knife barely missed her, suggesting that Bill was still toying with Dipper. He chuckled, "Heheh, this is fun! seeing you all terrified like that!"

"I'll give you anything. Just leave her alone. Just spare her, and take me!" he pleaded once more, tears running down his cheeks.

" _Anything_ , you say?" the isosceles monster grinned, bringing his hand down to his side, which made Dipper's do the same.

Dipper took a deep breath, "Anything. She's my twin sister. I'd do anything for her." He looked up, his cheeks wet.

Bill then got uncomfortably close, "Then you owe me another puppet..."

"W-what?" he looked at him, confused and upset. The fact that Bill was practically in his face didn't bother him for some reason.

"You know..." he pointed at Dipper, overbearing grin on his eye.

Dipper glanced at Mabel, not noticing the finger pointed at him, "You don't mean..."

The demon was slowly getting frustrated, but his grin got larger in turn, "No, not her... though thanks for the offer!"

"Then what do you want? you already have my body, don't you?" he raised an eyebrow.

The golden triangle hummed with pretend thought, and Dipper waited, not moving a muscle.

"Hmm... how about your soul then...?"

"What does that mean?"

"Give up your soul, kid.." his eye narrowed, frustration starting to show. The fact that the kid was sleep-deprived for several days on end and that this could have interfered with how he usually thought didn't matter to Bill.

"How do I even do that?" it was clear Dipper wasn't thinking.

"Just shake my hand..." he grinned, and outstretched his hand for his.

Dipper hesitated for a second, but took Bill's hand. "Deal," he exhaled, startled. The demon's blue fire spread throughout his arm, and Dipper began to feel something very wrong...

He shrieked internally, seeing the turquoise flames travel, and started feeling something being wrenched from himself, and that grin was still on Bill's face as he began chuckling.

Dipper's mind was racing, _What's happening to me? WHAT'S GOING ON?!_ his terror was clear.

The triangle's chuckles rose into monstrous laughter, as something—a sphere—transitioning from light blue to dark blue and back again began to emerge from his chest. Dipper looked down at it, _What is this? what have I done?_ panic making his eyes wide and pupils tiny.

The laughter soon died out, and Bill stayed grinning at the boy, "I'm surprised you don't know your own soul, kid... well, no matter... it's _mine_ now..."

"W-what do you mean?" he was terrified, "what have you done?" the second question was directed more towards himself.

"You said _anything_ , kid..." Bill let go of his hand and took the soul, grinning as he pondered whether to succumb to his hunger and devour it or to hang it over Dipper's head permanently. He decided that the second option would be much more amusing.

Dipper tried to grab it, "Why did you even do that?"

"You said I could have _anything_. Remember?" Bill reiterated, holding it away from him.

"Yeah, but why that, of all things?" the preteen still tried to get at it, but to no avail, for the triangle floated out of Dipper's reach.

"You'll see..."

"Wait," Dipper realized something, "wait, wait. I just literally sold my soul to a demon, didn't I?" he then facepalmed.

Bill cackled even more, kicking his legs, "I'm surprised you even did it! boy, when you humans are desperate... well, I don't even need to say it!" and cradled his soul closer to himself, ignoring the pangs of hunger.

"What are you gonna do with it?" Dipper gasped. "Is it gonna be like that anime where souls get eaten?"

"Actually, no... as much as I'd love to..." he snapped his fingers, and a jar materialized around the soul, "I've got another use for it..."

"And that is...?" Dipper was getting bored, surprisingly. The exhaustion was really kicking in, now that the adrenaline was leaving his system.

"Like I'd ever tell you!" the demon chuckled again, and the jar then vanished.

"It's my soul! I'd like to know what you're doing with it!"

Bill only grinned, and then Mabel began to shift, moaning slightly. He noticed this, and his smirk got even wider, "Heh, looks like I'm saved by the star! I'll catch ya later, Pine-Tree! hahahaha!" and then he vanished, just when Mabel slightly opened her eyes.

Dipper groaned, noticing light coming from the window. He dropped the knife that he hadn't realized he was holding, and fell to the floor, unconscious.

In the meantime, Bill was in his own dreamscape, clutching Dipper's soul jar to himself. He couldn't believe he had actually done it. He got a soul, and the kid's soul no less! now to enact his plan...

* * *

 **A/N:** Whew... what a dark turn it took, and it took it so darn QUICKLY. I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you this Saturday or next week with another chapter.


	2. Start of Darkness

**A/N:** And heeeere's Chapter One! I decided to upload it two days early.  
Roles  
Bill Cipher and Mabel: Me  
Stanley and Dipper: Ace

* * *

 **Darkening Souls  
Chapter One: Start of Darkness**

Mabel opened her eyes all the way, sat up, stretching and yawning loudly. She was sure today was going to go well, but then noticed that Dipper wasn't in bed with her. She shouted, concerned, "Bro-bro?!"

Dipper snored on the floor, as if answering her. Mabel frowned slightly, "Well... at least he's sleeping peacefully... I think..." and she got out of bed and took a closer look.

Her brother had his face on the ground, so it was impossible to tell. But the knife next to him was saying something. Mabel was quite alarmed, and she inspected the knife. It didn't have any blood on it, thankfully, but it didn't match the other forks and knives in Dipper's bag.

"Huh.. strange... could Bill have...?" she then looked around the room, narrowing her eyes, and then settled her gaze back on the knife. She was about to dismiss the thought, but she then saw, with much closer inspection, that the blade ended with a little triangle. And it was probably cursed, for all she knew. She gasped, dropping the knife, "Bill Cipher..." when she finally put it all together, "but... but..."

Dipper twitched and muttered something in his sleep, snapping Mabel out of her thoughts. She returned her focus on him and very carefully rolled him onto his back. He couldn't possibly be comfortable like that. Now, Mabel could finally get a look at his face, and he looked quite distressed, even as he slept. Twitching, shaking, shivering. Of course, the floor was cold. And he was on the floor right now.

His sister then picked him up and set him on his bed, lips pursed. Hopefully this would warm him up. Elsewhere, Bill's finger, glowing a much darker black than should be possible, touched the tip of the soul, turning that part black. He grinned and chuckled. Dipper's eyes suddenly opened and they were a tiny bit yellow. They held Mabel in their sights, and the first thought he had was to tell her what occurred.

"Hey, Mabel! you won't believe what just happened!"

Mabel barely noticed his eyes, smiling that he was finally awake, and responded, "Oh? what happened?"

"You were wrong," he looked worried when her eyes widened, "Bill came back. He tried to make me kill you... I... I had to sacrifice something..."

Mabel gasped, "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! w...what did you sacrifice?"

"My soul. But it's alright. You're not dead, I'm not dead. It's not like he can do anything with it, right? and now you're protected forever from him..." Dipper yawned, looking entirely nonchalant.

His sister, however, looked at him like he grew a second head, and it was silent for a while. Until...

"You did... WHAT?!"

"I sold my soul to save you, Mabel!" he exclaimed, and then sighed, getting off the bed and walking over, "he was gonna force me to kill you... I did what I had to..." he picked up that knife he dropped and began spinning it between his fingers.

She sighed, "Well... alright..."

"All that matters is that you're safe now," he hugged her tightly.

Mabel hugged him back tightly, smiling softly, "Yeah..."

He yawned again, "I'm gonna be asleep for today. Night," and he got back into bed and bundled himself up in the covers, the knife still in his hand.

Mabel frowned, having wanted to spend the day with her brother, but nonetheless accepted it. He needed the sleep after all.

"Alright... night.. I'll just... um... go have breakfast and save some for you..." and then she went downstairs, but not before she looked at Dipper, forlornly, for one last time.

Dipper thought about recent events. He pulled the knife to his line of sight and looked at it, wondering why he couldn't seem to keep it away from him. Elsewhere, Bill grinned, still cradling the slightly corrupted soul to his chest, "Hehe, this plan is fool-proof... nothing should stop me..."

The boy jabbed it into the wall, angry, "Someday you'll pay for messing with my sister and I," and he glared at the end of the knife, and turned away from it. To the bright light coming through the window. The morning seemed peaceful. As if nothing bad happened or would happen at all. He sighed, sleepy, yawned, and finally drifted off once more. His dreamscape seemed peaceful... if only for the moment.

The dream began to take shape, forming into his and Mabel's bedroom. Dipper looked around, getting out of bed and standing up. He soon saw Mabel was sleeping in her own bed, serene. He sat down, eyes still on Mabel and with a small, relieved smile on his face, _It was all just a dream, wasn't it?_

Mabel shifted slightly in her bed.

Dipper frowned, "Mabel?"

He soon heard a familiar laugh, and a familiar voice vibrated in his head, _You really thought that was a dream? boy, are you funny!_

 _Wishful thinking..._ Dipper furrowed his brow, "You already got what you wanted! why won't you leave me alone?!"

Bill merely laughed, it echoing in his head.

"Just leave me and my family alone!" Dipper yelled, plugging his ears.

 _That won't work... I'm in your head... and what makes you think I'll do that?_

Mabel shifted again. Dipper noticed this, but called no attention to it, as he looked around the room for him.

"I'm just sick of your games, Cipher. Tell me what you want!"

 _I want absolutely nothing... I mean, I have your soul. What more could I possibly want...? hehe, oh, yeah! your_ _ **suffering**_ _!_ Bill cackled.

"Well, make me suffer already!" Dipper cried, upset.

"Oh, but you already are... don't you see...?"Bill materialized in front of Dipper, watching his soul, grinning as the rest of it started to become a grayish color, slowly but surely.

"Stop that! I don't know what you're doing, but I don't like it!" he was freaking out again. Bill said nothing in reply, but Dipper saw the smirk still on his eye. He was upset even more, "Why are you even doing that?"

"Heh... you're smart enough..." was Bill's only answer.

Dipper took a deep breath, _Wait... this is a dream. Bill can't appear in reality. So..._ and then he started floating, level with Bill, "Stop acting like you're so high and mighty! you don't even exist in the real world!"

The triangle's grin grew even more monstrous as he made the soul disappear back into his mindscape.

"Like, really, who do you think you are?" Dipper glared fiercely.

"Why must you even ask?" Bill laughed.

"You've messed with my family more than enough. You've messed with _me_ more than enough!" he jumped to tackle Bill.

Bad move. The demon merely "swallowed" him, similar to Mabel's temporary fate.

 _I should've expected this,_ the boy sighed.

Bill, after looking at a stop watch he conjured up for several seconds, then spit him back out, grinning, "Definitely!"

Dipper glared at Bill once he rose to his feet, silently. The golden isosceles monster matched the glare. Meanwhile, back in the real world, Mabel had just finished her breakfast, and, as she had promised, saved some for Dipper. Stan walked in, reading a newspaper, "Hey, kiddo. You seen Dipper around lately? I need to have a talk with you kids..."

"He's upstairs sleeping..." she frowned. "He didn't look too good though..."

"Something bothering you, pumpkin?" he put the paper down, noticing she seemed deflated.

"Yeah... it's just.. Dipper's sad... and it's making _me_ sad..."

"D'ya know why?" Stan pulled out a chair and sat in it.

"No... but he kept going on about nightmares and Bill..." she sighed.

"Bill?" Stan raised an eyebrow, "who's that?"

"Some evil triangle out to get us..." she explained sadly.

"Ah. And do you know why?"

"We don't... that's the thing... he seems to be doing this for fun..."

"Well, he won't mess with my family anymore," Stan stood up, eyebrows furrowing. "Where is he?"

"That's also the thing... he seems.. non-corporeal..." she pursed her lips, not sure if she said it right, "is that how you say it?"

"You mean he's not real?" Stan raised an eyebrow, "or he's hiding?"

"Oh, he's real, all right... it's just he doesn't have an anchor to this world..."

Stan was really confused, scratching at his head, "So I can't hurt him is what you're saying."

"Basically.." she frowned even more, setting her head on the table.

"Then how do you know he exists?" Stan was trying to wrap his head around it, sitting down again.

"Because we fought him... y'know that Sock Opera deal?" and she began telling him all about it, not waiting for an answer.

"Oh... so he's some sort of demon?" he scratched his chin thoughtfully. _Might have been what Poindexter was afraid of..._

"Yep... a demonic triangle... who just won't leave us alone..."

"Well, there isn't anything I can do to stop him, is there?"

"Unless you dreamed of him, I doubt it..."

"Nope," he suddenly declined, "Dip really just needs to face his fear and beat him. But right now... we really gotta talk," he glanced at his watch, which was counting down.

"Alright... I'll go back up and wake him..." and then she got up from the chair and headed back upstairs. Dipper was still fast asleep, however uneasy.

"Just let me dream in peace. For one last time," he demanded, staring at Bill.

"Really now? you're funny!" he cackled.

"I'm funny? look at you! you're a freaking triangle!"

"Hahha! stop being so shapist, alright? and fine... I'll let you have a peaceful dream," Bill relented, and then snapped his fingers, turning the dream into a library.

Dipper sighed, "Thank you..." he couldn't quite get his head around why Bill had said yes. Maybe calling him a triangle was his weakness. But that was just a shot in the air. The twins had called him a triangle many times before, but it didn't seem to have an impact on how he treated them. The boy eventually shrugged. Bill grinned deviously, and then teleported away.

Dipper began to look around, content with such a boring dream. He picked up a book from a shelf he was nearby, smiling slightly, "Least that guy is gone for now..."

And suddenly, he heard, "DIP-DOP! TIME TO WAKE UP!" and the dream shattered.

Dipper's eyes opened. He suddenly realized why Bill left so easily. He frowned and sat up, "Mabel! I was trying to get some sleep!"

He looked a little more rested, less bags under his eyes. But his eyes were now a very noticeable off-white, almost a soft yellow. Mabel raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't say anything about this. Instead, she apologized, "Sorry, bro-bro... but Grunkle Stan wants us both downstairs... I think it's urgent." She completely forgot about the fact that she saved breakfast for him in her rush.

"Well, let's go," and he took off out of bed and seemed to be even faster than Mabel. He got downstairs, wheezing a little.

Mabel soon was by his side, lips pursed, "You okay, Dipper?"

"I... I don't know," he said, regaining his composure. "Bill was there again."

"Enough about Bill! you need to punch him in the face!" Stan had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Stan, he's a triangle. He doesn't have a face," Dipper reasoned.

"LEFT HOOK HIM IN THE FACE!" Stan bellowed.

Mabel chuckled a little bit, regaining some of her happiness, and fist-pumped once, "Yeah!"

"Grunkle Stan, what was it you wanted to talk with us about?" asked Dipper, knowing it was better just to move on with him, and walked over to the table and sat down.

"Er... kids... well, I... I, er..." he looked uneasy, his anger forgotten.

Mabel looked up at him, eyes sparkling. She was eager to hear what Stan had to say, and was ready for whatever outcome, pleasant or unpleasant.

"You guys may think you know the weirdest secrets in Gravity Falls. Facts are, you don't," Stan was stalling. _Can't think of any good way to say this..._

"What are you saying?" Dipper raised an eyebrow.

"Really, Grunkle?" her eyebrows rose.

Suddenly, Dipper felt a twinge of something incredibly _wrong_. Dipper frowned, trying to ignore the feeling.

"Uh, so, uh... there's this thing. Big thing. Really big thing," he stumbled over his words, and thought, _Great job, Stanley! you're explaining this perfectly!_ he was sweating, still unsure of how to say it.

"Okay, what is it?" Dipper urged him on.

"Yeah! what is it, Grunkle Stan? I'm chomping at the bits here!"

"It's... well, I'm not quite sure what it is. But it's been there for thirty years," Stan tried. He really did try.

Dipper felt the twinge again, only much stronger than before. If he was awake enough, the pieces would have started clicking in his brain. Unfortunately, he had only one hour of sleep in thirty hours total. He was beat, only awake by the small power he didn't know he had—and was receiving. Once again, he attempted to ignore it.

"Thirty years?" Mabel clasped her hands together, deeply intrigued.

And it occurred again, feeling like a punch in the mental gut. Dipper stood up.

"I have to go to the bathroom," he declared, and began to walk away. _I really should take some Advil... and get Mabel to make me that dreamcatcher..._

Stan sighed, looking at Mabel, "I suppose I could just tell you and you could explain it to him."

"Alright! I'll try my best, Grunkle Stan!" she grinned, trying to hide her worry for her brother. Dipper went into the kitchen and searched for the medicine cabinet.

"So, as I was saying... you know what? it'd be easier to start from the beginning," Stan sighed.

Mabel sat back down at the dining table, hands folded like a behaved student. She had the biggest smile on her face as she stared up at her Grunkle, ready to hear this tale. Stanley began to tell it, and Mabel listened intently.

Dipper soon found the bottle of Advil, but unfortunately it was empty. He grunted.

"STAAAAAN! WE NEED SOME MORE ADVIL!" he shouted.

Mabel frowned slightly, sad that the story was interrupted. Stan had just gotten to the part about the science project.

"Dipper! I'm trying to tell my life's story!" he shouted back at him.

Dipper sighed and walked back in, "Seriously, though, I have a headache and I need something for it."

Mabel pulled ingredients and a blender out of seemingly nowhere, quickly whipped up some Mabel Juice, and handed it to him, smiling, "Try this..."

Her brother glanced at it, "You spiked it with plastic dinosaurs..." and, after he plucked them out, he began to down it anyway.

She giggled, "Yeah, I did, bro! how's it going for your head?"

"Eh, I dunno. Bill's probably just messing with me again. Like he always does," he sighed and finished his drink. He placed it upside down. Stan watched them quietly.

"Yeah.. he probably is..." she pursed her lips. She wished she could help him.

"I think I'll go take a walk," he walked out the door without another word, forsaking his breakfast. Mabel sighed, deflated once more. She set her head on the table.

Stan glanced at her, "Hey, cheer up. He'll be fine in no time."

"How can you be so sure, Grunkle...?" she looked up at him sadly.

"Because you're siblings. And siblings always get along, in the end..." Stan then inwardly sighed as he thought, _At least, I hope they do..._

* * *

 **A/N:** Whoop, there it is! I hope you enjoyed, and if you have the time drop a review down. I love those things, and they'll encourage me to upload these pre-written chapters faster. X3 Like once a week or twice a week faster. And that's it from me for today. Ciao!


	3. Nightmare in Reality (Part One)

**A/N:** Again, decided to be early with this update. This chapter was SO long that I decided to cut it into a part two. As a result, the next chapter will be shorter... and as a result, I'll upload the next one two days from now instead of a week from now. Seems fairer that way, doesn't it? Now, enough of my chatter. Lemme just give you the roles and a few warnings, and then you can start reading.

 **Depression Trigger Warnings Possible  
Two Curse Words are Present  
Prepare Tissues**

Roles  
Dipper Pines: Ace  
Bill Cipher and Mabel Pines: Me

* * *

 **Darkening Souls  
Chapter Two (Part One): Nightmare in Reality**

Dipper was walking around the forest, sighing.

"She doesn't realize how serious this all is. I sold my soul to a demon and all it's gotten done is made her awkward around me!" he said to nobody in particular, kicking a stone.

The wind cropped up a few times, whipping his hair around. His hat almost got blown off. Dipper held onto his hat tightly and sighed.

"I know you're there, listening to me. Laughing at me. Stop laughing at me!" he yelled to the wind.

The wind only began to blow even harder in seeming reply.

Dipper groaned, "I'm losing it. Just like the guy who wrote this book." He pulled out journal three and sighed, "Maybe he made a couple bad deals with Bill, too." Dipper sat on a log.

It was silent throughout the forest. Dipper realized he didn't recognize this part of the forest. Lost. Again.

"And so I hid all this from you guys so you two wouldn't mess with my progress," finished Stan. "So we have only eighteen hours and boom, he's back... Mabel, I need you to keep this secret. And if something happens to me, I need you to make sure the portal opens."

Mabel promptly saluted, "You can count on me, Grunkle Stan!"

"Here, you'll need this," he shoved the paper with the code on it into her hands. "You got any questions, kiddo?" Stan raised an eyebrow.

Mabel read over it, and shook her head, smiling, "Nope!"

Stan frowned, "Alright, then. Let me show you the thing." He walked away to the vending machine, entered the code and began down the stairs. Mabel got up and followed him, awed.

 _She's not taking this seriously..._ Stan noted, _or she's thinking about something else..._ he reached the elevator, entered in the symbols, and stepped in. She also stepped in, bouncing on her heels. He was right. She _was_ focused on something else. Or, rather, _someone_ else. She was still worried about Dipper, but refused to let it show. After a few seconds, they were standing in front of the portal, the countdown timer running, "And so my brother will return when that timer runs out."

"I see... wow.. this is amazing.." she began to explore a little bit.

"Don't touch anything. I don't understand it much better than you."

"Aww! fine..." she was inches away from touching something, and she then pulled her hand back from whatever it was.

Stan sighed, glancing at the timer, "You should probably go check on your brother," and then he hesitated, thinking better of what he said earlier, "and don't tell him about all this. I don't think he's ready to hear the truth."

"Alright..." the worry about her brother was brought back to the front of her mind, "and I won't. I Mabel Promise!" and she did the gestures, walking backwards out the lab. Stan chuckled slightly, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, Dipper was stumbling around, fighting the wind, uncertain if he was even going the right direction. Suddenly, he began to hear laughter. Familiar laughter. Dipper rolled his eyes. "Really? can't you just appear? your theatrics are hardly entertaining!" he shouted to the wind, still struggling to get any farther.

The world started turning gray, and Bill kept laughing, ignoring Dipper's request. He sighed, and took a deep breath, _Just deal with it, Dipper._

"Yeah! hehe! deal with it!" and then _he_ appeared, one brick at a time. He smirked once he was fully formed. "Good to see you're still in one piece, Pine Tree!"

Dipper rolled his eyes and kept on walking. _Ignore him. Just ignore him and get home._

Bill teleported in front of him, still grinning, "Now, hold up, Pine Tree! you really think simply walking away is gonna work? heh! you're in _my_ domain now!"

"Oh, right," Dipper pinched his arm, wincing.

It didn't work, as Bill was still levitating in front of him, arms crossed with that smug smirk on his eye.

Dipper sighed, "Do you wanna play a game?" and shrugged, staring at Bill.

"A game, eh? what do you figure?" the triangle seemed interested.

"I don't know. Chess, maybe? seems like you'll keep me here a while," he looked at Bill with some slick confidence. The kind of smirk _Bill_ would have was present on his face.

Bill smirked as well, recognizing this. His corruption was working... this was excellent...

"Ah, yes... let's play some chess," and then he snapped his fingers and a chessboard appeared before the both of them.

Of course, Dipper took the first move. _Just keep it cool, Dipper. All I have to do is wait for someone to find me and wake me up. Shouldn't take too long._ He looked up at Bill, smiling softly, "Your turn."

And then Bill made his move, concentrating intensely on the game. Dipper moved again, "So, uh, why do you keep visiting me?"

"For fun. Sometimes it gets lonesome. That and it's funny to see you suffer," the demon placed a piece.

He hesitated, and slid a piece across the board, "I'm not suffering and I'm hardly fun. Mabel tells me all the time."

Bill then smirked, "She does, doesn't she? maybe because she thinks you're worthless..."

 _She's not found me yet... but I know she's looking. Right? wouldn't she be looking?_ he thought silently, and then sighed, "Uh, I think it's your turn..." he looked conflicted.

Bill slid his piece across the platform, "Heh, just face it, kid! she only sees you as the weakest link. Why would she ever come looking for you?"

"You might be onto something there. I am weak... I didn't even try to fight you," he tapped his chin, staring at the pieces. He tipped his king over, forfeiting. From there, he began to reset the board manually.

"Yeah! definitely!" the demon smirked, and then took to watching him set the board back up, propping his feet up on it. He summoned two mugs, and poured some hot chocolate into each of them, "Would you like a spot of hot chocolate, Pine Tree?"

"Why not?" he took one and took a sip. _He's not wrong... Mabel hardly seemed to care about this whole thing. I mean, yeah, she cared, but she was probably just acting... wait, no, that doesn't sound like Mabel._ He finished with the board, frowning, "Uh, you go first this time."

Bill also took a sip, and then placed a piece without even looking. He sensed his hesitation, and gave him a little mental pinch in the right direction.

Dipper frowned, "How do you do that?" his mind was completely taken off Mabel, "you seem to know any move I'll make before I even make it... and it's freaky! ...or I'm really paranoid." Dipper sighed and picked up a piece, hesitated, and then decided to put it back.

"Precognition, kid..." he answered, and waited a while.

"There's no point in playing a game you'll always win. It just boosts your ego and it's boring for me!" he said, swiping all the pieces off the board angrily. "It's like playing chess with Mabel, but completely the opposite way!"

"Hehe, yeah. Mabel's always beaten you at every other game, hasn't she?"

"No, it's the other way around. I always beat her at everything... I think she's actually jealous of me, to be honest. I've been an amazing brother and she's done next to nothing to help me!" he sighed, "eh, I'm being a bit dramatic. She has done things for me in the past... little things..."

Bill grinned, "Exactly..."

"Ah, who am I kidding? she's my twin sister. I sold my soul for her. I wouldn't have it any other way," he patted his chest.

The mental twinge came up again. He frowned, _Really?_ a big speech formed in his head, listing ever time he had sacrificed for her and she hadn't returned the favor. _She's done nothing after all that. Even after I've sold my fuckin' soul to a demon for her, nothing in return!_

Bill smirked subtly, sipping at his mug again.

"Yeah, but really, she's done nothing for me, while I've done everything for her. I don't even know why..."

The demon chuckled slightly, and then vanished, taking the chessboard and mugs with him. The world was back to color, and Dipper started hearing a voice on the wind. Mabel's voice. Dipper stood up, _Oh, she was looking for me. Color me surprised._

Anyone except the blind would have noticed his soft yellow eyes by now. He saw Mabel and sighed, "I'm over here, Mabel," and turned away from her.

Mabel soon appeared out of the trees, gasping for air. She smiled brightly when she saw him, "Oh my god, I was worried something happened to you!"

He rolled his eyes, "Aren't we all?"

It all seemed so clear now. How had he been lost? was he just tired? he didn't care. He just walked towards the Mystery Shack. Mabel's bright smile slowly faded from her face, and she was now wondering what's wrong, as he brushed past her. However, she also saw something wrong with his eyes, and her own eyes widened. She didn't call attention to this, choosing instead to follow her brother silently to the Shack, deflated once more.

He could sorta... sense her emotions. It was strange. He ignored it though, for now, concentrating on getting to the Shack without stopping. He arrived and turned to Mabel, about to say something. He thought better of it and stepped inside. Mabel then grabbed his arm and pulled him back outside. He sighed.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly, boring into her with those horrible eyes.

She merely pointed at his eyes, "Y..your eyes..."

He rolled them.

"Really, Mabel? my eyes? okay, what's wrong with my eyes? or are you telling me you're in love with me or something?" he was fed up with Mabel's bullshit.

Mabel uncharacteristically frowned, angry and frustrated, and then shoved a mirror into his face. She then brushed past him, entering the Shack. He looked at it, frowning too. Because he saw nothing wrong in the mirror with his eyes. They were as white as ever. But he did notice the bags.

"Heh. I guess she means she wants me to get some sleep... MABEL! SLEEP DEPRIVATION DOES NOT EQUAL BEING GRUMPY!" he yelled, walking in and dropping the mirror on a table.

She didn't even reply, too angry and upset. She bored literal holes into the wall from where she was sitting at the table. She grabbed at her camera sweater, frowning still. He found in his other hand, the knife. It had appeared in his hand sometime in the forest. He frowned, glancing at it.

She had an idea on how she could use her sweater, and it brightened her mood. However, she had to wait a while for Dipper to sit down. She thought that, maybe, just _maybe_.. the eyes would show up on film.

Dipper decided to get some much needed rest. Those bags had to go away. He headed up the stairs. _You know what? I don't think I need a dreamcatcher, after all._

Mabel scratched her head, reworking the idea in her head. Maybe she could plant the camera in the room? Dipper sat down on his bed, sighing, and found he couldn't sleep. He felt miserable. _I'm being a jerk to Mabel. She's just trying to look out for me._

He felt another twinge.

Mabel worked on building a small camera. Turns out she _had_ been paying attention to when Stan was teaching the siblings how to make mini-cameras. Dipper stood up. He picked up his knife, and had a singular thought on his mind. He began out the door and down the stairs, to where Mabel was working. Mabel was almost done with the camera, when she sensed her brother come out. She greeted him without looking, "Hey, bro-bro! how was your nap?"

His hand clenched around the handle. _Wait. WHAT AM I DOING?_ Terrified, he stepped back into the little room with the stairs as quickly as he could. Bill chuckled, still in his dimension. He would make this process go as long and as slowly as possible. For now, a break was needed. He laughed even more, still watching Dipper's graying soul.

Mabel became worried when Dipper didn't answer, "Bro-bro?"

He dropped the knife. Didn't hear it land. Only heard Mabel.

"Y-yes?" he asked hesitantly. _There's something wrong with me..._

"Are you okay?"

He forced a smile, "I'm fine, Mabel. I'm just... tired."

It wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the truth either. He entered the room again, staring at the ground.

"Oh.. I would say rest, but I have this small feeling that it's making something worse... I... I just _don't_ know..." she finished making the camera, but discarded that idea. She pocketed it, and then focused on her sweater.

Dipper nodded, "I think I've made a mistake."

"Yeah... I think we both did... now, hold still..." and she got up and aimed her camera at him.

He looked up and frowned at her, "Mabel, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see something..." and then she took a picture of his face. The photo soon was fed out of the hole in her sweater, and she grabbed it up carefully and looked at it, inspecting the eyes. Sure enough, they were on there, those horrible yellow eyes. And something she didn't notice before: they seemed to be growing longer, his pupils.

"Well? what do you see? actually, what were you looking for?"

Mabel only stood there, shocked. She couldn't say a thing. Soon, she simply held it out for Dipper to look at for himself. He laughed at it, "God, I look even worse on camera!"

He was staring at all the wrinkles and bags under his eyes. How could he so completely miss the yellow? Mabel frowned even more, and then quietly exploded, "Oh my god, how can you _not_ see it?! your eyes, Dipper! they're yellow and cat-like!"

He looked again and gasped, "You're right! but.. it keeps switching back and forth..." his own eyes were switching back and forth, opposite to the photo's.

She calmed herself down, and began to think, "Huh... strange... I wonder if the switching is a good thing...?"

His eyes settled on yellow and he sighed, "It's back to normal..." he frowned. "This is freaky..."

"Back to normal...?" Mabel pulled a face, "and you're darn right it's freaky..."

"I looked like Bipper... I think this is because of the whole selling soul thing with Bill. Maybe I've put you in even greater peril..." he looked at her with fear. Even now, he was wondering why he was talking to her. Wondering why he cared about her.

Mabel whimpered, pocketing the picture, "I'm sorry I was ever in danger in the first place... bro-bro... you shouldn't be going through this..."

He looked down, and looked back up at her. Directly at her.

"Shut up! you don't know what this is like! you don't have a clue! just... leave me alone, I don't wanna hurt you!" he screamed at her.

Mabel looked hurt and pitiful, "Of course I don't... but I... I just wanna help... bro-bro..."

"The best way for you to help me is for you to stay away from me! you're a useless little brat with no regard for all the things I've done for you! I swear, I'd kill you if I could!" his eyes turned red. Then back to normal. They widened as he realized what he said, and he tried to rectify it, "Mabel, I didn't mean any of that..."

Mabel felt her whole world crash and burn. Silent tears began to drip from her wide eyes. She couldn't do anything but just stand there and cry, her thoughts also having ground to a halt. Dipper did the only thing he could do, the only thing his sides agreed on—making his way to the attic, opening the window and running. He slid down a tree, ran into the forest, tripped over a root, and decided not to get up.

Mabel frowned once again, and went upstairs to sit on her bed, tears still flowing. She curled up in a fetal position and pulled her sweater over her face. She didn't even bother to go look for him. All that played in her mind were those words... over and over again... slowly tearing her heart apart even more.

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 **A/N:** I would like to say right now that Dipper and Bill will be roleplayed by Ace and me respectively throughout this entire story. Other characters will be bounced around from time to time. Now that I've got that down, I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review if you can. I'm well aware I'd uploaded this on a school night as well as on the day Steven Universe comes back, but please, even if it's short. I'd REALLY appreciate it. Thank you.  
And while I'm still talking about SU, HOORAY! I'm going to have fun watching it, and possibly die from feels. Hopefully dying won't happen. XP  
But I digressed. Again, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you two days from now with another chapter! Ta ta!


	4. Nightmare in Reality (Part Two)

**A/N:** Sorry about the wait. I kinda didn't feel like uploading the second part. But here it is now. Also, I'd like to thank PetalGirl for reviewing. And indeed, you're right. And thanks for believing in Dipper. Also, to all those who favorited and followed the story, thank you too! That aside, read on.

 **Depressing Trigger Warnings Possible!  
Prepare Your Tissues!**

Roles  
Dipper: Ace  
Bill and Mabel: Me

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 **Darkening Souls  
Chapter Two (Part Two): Nightmare in Reality**

Dipper sat on a log, obviously having decided to move, in the forest.

 _I need to hide. Run. Go somewhere, far away, so I can never see her again. She probably doesn't even want to see me. She hates me. As much as I hate her. But I don't hate her. She's my sister. I love her. Don't I...?_ the thoughts were driving him insane. "Who am I, Dipper Pines, brother of Mabel Pines? Do I hate my sister or do I love her? could I ever stay away from her? could I resist the impulse to return, to hug her, or to kill her?" he sighed, and found he was sobbing.

Bill was currently watching this, chuckling to himself as he held Dipper's currently blackened soul in the palm of his hand. It was fun seeing the Pines suffer...

Mabel didn't know what to think anymore. Her whole life revolved around her brother, even if she may not have acted like it at points... and for him to say what he said to her... it... wait...

She lifted her head out of her sweater, remembering that his eyes had gone red. He really _didn't_ mean that... did he? something else was there...

Dipper stood up with solid eyes, "I've chosen." He began back towards the Mystery Shack.

Mabel, still crying, hopped off the bed and started to run out to the forest, looking for her brother so she could help him sort all this out. He soon saw her. He had normal, white eyes. He smiled, "Hey, Mabel..." he ran to hug her.

"Dip-Dop!" she grinned, and then also ran to hug him, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Me too," he grinned and wrapped his arms around her. And then his eyes changed. It all happened so fast. The knife was in his hand, and he stabbed her. Then he stepped away, taking the bloodied knife out, grinning at her.

Mabel gasped, for a while not registering the pain... but soon she did. She knelt, clutching at the wound, and her world was swirling at this point. She put two and two together while she still had her wits about her and eventually realized her brother had done this...

"D...Dipper..." was the only thing she could say, a look of pure shock and pain on her face.

He laughed, staring at her, "You should see the look on your face, Mabel! priceless! you're adorable... and you look so much better in crimson, might I add!" he grinned horribly at her.

"N...no... you... you're not Dipper... y...you're B...Bipper... b..but h..." she couldn't get her question out. She was losing too much blood, and she couldn't stay up on her knees anymore... she forced herself to do so, though, looking into his now blurry yellow eyes.

"Bipper?" he raised an eyebrow, "doesn't Bipper call you Shooting Star? doesn't Bipper hurt himself and not others? face it, Mabel, _I_ hate you. You've never been there for me, and I've always been there for you. This is my revenge. This is what I've always wanted to do, since you've never done a single thing for me!

"How does it feel, huh? how does it feel to have your world turned upside down and everything you worked for destroyed?" he laughed maniacally. "Doesn't feel very good, does it, eh?" he was twirling the knife in between his fingers, grinning at Mabel with that horrible smile. Those terrible eyes. But that was Dipper's smile, and Dipper's eyes.

"N...never...? b...but the grappling hook... a...all those times we... we adventured... di..didn't I help...?" she managed to speak, despite feeling like she wanted to hurl, and her words were slurred, just like her waking world.. she felt like she was going to die...

Bill cackled, and his finger started turning blue, Dipper's blue. He raised it above the black soul, but he didn't touch it yet, waiting for exactly the right moment.

"Sure you did, Mabel," he rolled his eyes. "You helped make everything worse! that's all you ever do. You make things hard for me, and now, you'll never be there to make anything hard again!" he smiled softly, evilly, "So, Mabel, any last words? anything you wanted to say but never had the chance? any dark, dark secrets or anything?" he raised an eyebrow, smirking at his dying sister. Like it was funny.

Mabel said nothing for a while, coughing up blood at this point. Eventually, she, through tears and a wobbly voice, said, "Y...you'll al...ways... be my... bro-bro... n..no matter... what..." and then she gasped for air, coughing up more blood, before she collapsed, losing consciousness.

Bill grinned. It was time now... and then he touched the tip of the boy's soul with his blue finger, and it, in turn, slowly started to regain its former color. Dipper laughed as he saw his sister fall. After a few seconds, though, his laughter turned into sobbing. He dropped the knife and it fell with a clink.

"What have I done?" he asked, staring at Mabel's lifeless body, falling onto his knees. His eyes were wide and terrified. There was no one there to answer him... nothing was there to answer him... the wind picked up again, whipping through both his and his sister's hair, but it wasn't heralding Bill's coming as it was howling a seeming sadness... it was as if the forest was mourning too...

He couldn't bear to look at her a second longer. He ran. He didn't know where he was running, why, or when he would stop. He just had one purpose: to get away. To find somewhere, somewhere specific...

He reached the end of his run. He was standing at the edge of the Gravity Falls cliffs. Below him was a waterfall and a closed off railroad. The rushing of the water pounded in his ears. The wind seemed to howl even more, as if protesting his suicidal notion. It threatened to toss his hat off his head once again. He grabbed it, sighed, and hung it on a nearby tree, "I won't be needing you. You've been there for me every step of the way. Watch over these woods, over this town. Keep my friends safe. Keep her friends safe."

He glanced at the sharp rocks and water below. He took a few steps back, and took a running jump off the cliff, into the certain death below. A sudden pain, and then nothing. Dipper Pines was dead.

The wind stopped howling. It was silent in that forest... and then Bill appeared for a brief moment, coating the world in grey. He looked down at Dipper's dead body splattered on the rocks, and chuckled. And chuckled again. Then that chuckle rose into a fit of crazed, celebratory laughter that seemed to last an eternity.

"Oh, it's happened! it's finally happened! the voice of reason in the family is gone! and that's one less Pines out to even attempt to stop my plans!"

Why he said "one", you ask? why, he knew Mabel Pines, in fact, wasn't dead. But her he wasn't particularly worried about. She, like he had convinced her brother, was useless and nothing but a burden. He threw one fist pump into the air, before he vanished once more, and color was restored once again. Who knew at the time that, ignoring Mabel Pines, would be the biggest mistake he ever made...?

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 **A/N:** And that concludes Chapter Two. I hope you enjoyed. Since I didn't upload this part like I was supposed to, you'll get Chapter Three Sunday. It's my apology to you. And please review. I'd love to see what people think.


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